The Potty Driven Life - Feedback

The Potty Driven Life

PAGE:

NEXT>

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 11:05:56 PM

Age 47, MN

Um, we remodeled our bathrooms to make them handicapped accessible, shame on us. We also put a baby changing station in the womens room - shame on us for stooping so low. But give us credit for not putting a baby changing station in the men's room cause we know diaper changing is the mom's job.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 03/17/07 05:12:10 PM Age 38, MI
The author wasn't addressing those who remodel their bathrooms to make them handicap accessible, to put a baby changing station in, or any other kind of remodeling that makes using a public bathroom more easy for people. You need to go re-read what he said and cut out the sarcasm. If you have no reason to be ashamed of what you are doing then don't worry about it.
Click here to reply to this post
Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 03/16/07 05:01:05 PM Age 26, SD
Top work! But did your church remember to make it the focal point of their ministry?
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 04/02/07 04:09:18 PM Age 26, MN
You're all missing the point! You're thinking the bathroom is the only thing this church does to reach out to people! You think it's their golden calf or something! You're applying the perspective that the whole church is failing and this is their desperate attempt to drive up numbers. IT IS NOT! Their numbers have been increasing with or without the bathroom. This is just another fun addendum to their already powerful ministry. IT IS NOT THE FOCUS OF THEIR CHURCH! Shame on all those who'd judge the church for a bathroom.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 09:44:54 PM

Age 51, AZ

Todd, great article!. Talk about stumbling around trying to get a captive audience (at least for a spell). This is another example of Satans success in leading many of todays churches astray! They no longer gather to worship and exalt God, but gather together to entertain one another for a few hours and then retreat to their secular world until next Sunday morning. No wonder no one at those churches are working at evangelizing since those church bodies are focused primarily on themselves and not on God. Did they forget that they are to gather together to worship and exalt God? Are they trying to cram a weeks worth of prayer and one way spiritual relationship into a few moments just as children do for their annual wish-list visit with Santa? Whatever, it isnt working. Hopefully, those who what to punish you, the messenger, for bringing the truth will instead be led to the true understanding that God must be the churchs first focus with Jesus our Savior as the only true drawing card for no one can come to the Father except through Jesus. Please keep up the good work! Thanks.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 03/16/07 10:47:20 AM Age 39, CA
I remember a time when I attended a church service once a week, and thought I was pleasing God by going because I was sacrificing myself on Sunday mornings. On Sunday, I had to wake up early when others were sleeping from a wild Saturday night -- include me in those Saturday night escapades. During these services, I would check out the girls, and wonder what they were really like when no one was watching. I would observe the musicians and singers during worship and look at what they were wearing, the instruments they were playing, and sometimes would be mesmerized by their talent. I would look around and observe the people who seemed to be in some sort of trance, resembling, at time those Hare Krishna followers you see in the street dancing with their tambourines. I would sit through a sermon (filled with unintelligible language mostly because of my semiconscious state) that to me were painfully long. What did I get from these sermons? I now know how to enter into a deep sleep sitting up. But I was aware of my apathy and lack of interest in eternal matters, thanks to a few words from the preacher that got through the clogged filters in my mind. But my conscience was eased by thinking that religion had to wait because I was too young and had too many wild oats to sow. Maybe in a few years when I was married and had a family and no longer desired the wild and fun-filled life to which I had become accustomed. I was blind, couldn't hear, and had no hunger for the Lord because I was dead in my sins. And, according to Romans 8:7, I was an enemy of God (I just thought I would use Him to keep me out of hell) and I didn't want to follow His Word because I couldn't. I was living a lifestyle that involved the abuse of kind-hearted people who only wanted to love me. My god was my ego and if anyone didn't like it, they knew where the door was. The thought that Jesus would have mercy on me was farther than any conceivable thought. And to make matters worse I couldn't live like a Christian, so I didn't even try to do so. But how could I? I was in love with myself and only used God as I was using everyone else in my life -- for my pleasure and benefit. But one day, at the age of 33, the Lord bestowed His loving Grace on me, was merciful on my sinful past, washed me clean of all the dross that began with Adam and ended with me. His righteousness, not mine, was imputed on me. I was made perfect as He was, not for what I had or had not done, but simply because of His mercy (Titus 3:4-5). Just as Jesus had compassion on us, we should have compassion on these people who go to a church service to entertain others and to be entertained. There is no need to experience any discomfort because of their condition -- be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God (Phil 4:6). Don't just express your discontent with their conduct, express your compassion for them and pray for them also.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 04/02/07 04:12:54 PM Age 26, MN
How IS it sinful to be entertained during church? We can't have fun or use interseting relevant stories in worship or teaching? Where IS it a requirement that holiness=boredom?
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 06:27:42 PM

Age 38, IA

Well, this is nothing new in Christian evangilism. So many evangelists have tried to use the "If you become a Christian, you'll be rich and things will go well for you" routine for years. The men's room routine is a bit of a fresh twist on this, I must admit. This reminds me of when Simon the magician offered money to Peter and John to lay hands on him so he would recieve the Holy Spirit. This is clearly a case of someone wanting a good spiritual thing but going about it in all the wrong way. In fact, Simon did this because he had evil intent, as Peter pointed out. Many would desire for churches to be filled with the converted, but they are unwilling to do it in the way that God has prescribed. Do we want to bring glory to God, or to ourselves? Offering the unconverted a bribe to enter a church or convert to Christianity is not demonstrating a true faith in the power of God.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 12:32:05 PM

Age 48, OH

I think the only thing worse than the problem described in this article (a lavishly decorated men's room featured on the church web site) is the treatment of it in this article. It's sarcastic supercilious tone was more offensive to me than the restroom itself. I found far more references to bodily functions in Todd's article and was more insulted and offended by it than by the outre ornamentation descirbed on the church's web site. If we want our message to come across, might I suggest something other than sarcasm and offal. Even if the cause is worthy and the criticism valid, becoming more offensive than the offenders is hardly the way to build God's Kingdom.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 03/16/07 10:51:10 AM Age 46, IA
Have you never read the account of Elijah and the 450 prophets of Baal. How he mocked and made fun of them and their god. Our modern translations clean up what was said in the original language. We use phrases like, "has he turned aside?" What Elijah was saying was more like, whats wrong is your god stuck on the can? Even that is sanitized. From what I've seen the orignal is even more crass. The scripture makes it abundantly clear God mocks and makes fun of his enemies. While you can make the case that these people are not His enemies. They are not faithful friends if they were they would read His word and obey it by PREACHING repentence and the gospel not decorating their bathrooms.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 10:12:26 AM

Age 60, FL

Evangelism hasn't hit a new low - CWN has! What is described is a natural progression from the approach that created the cathedrals of Europe to the Crystal Cathedral in the US. I remember how I was impressed the first time I saw the campus of Willow Creek. Churches have been drawing people in with eye candy almost since the beginning of the "organized church!" What concerns me most about this article is how the author has made this incident a platform to vent his vitriol. No one is talking about the rest room supplanting the word, or in any way having anything to do with worship. Where the train really jumps the track is when the author gets carried away to the point of stating: "Church is for Christians, not curiosity seekers." Tell me, please, how do people get to be Christians, so they can then come to church? When our church hosted the state convention, the bathrooms were dressed up with plants, and baskets of toiletries, etc., to make the bathrooms more appealing. I suppose that was wrong, too. Bottom line: This article is making a mountain out of a molehill. The only purpose I can find for it is self-agrandisement. Dear Editors - is their nothing you can find more worthy of our time? Are their no issues coming across your desk of greater import? Please!
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 03/15/07 10:37:26 PM Age 32, TX
I can understand your offense to Todd's sarcastic approach. But, his approach is not without precident. If I understand him correctly Todd views these bathroom decorators as preachers of a false gospel. I think he rightly interprets their method as being based on modern marketing methods rather than biblical evangelism. So I don't blame him for calling a "brood of vipers" by name. You see, church is for Christians, not for the lost. When is the last time you read anything in the Word about an alter call? You haven't, because it was invented by well-intentioned preachers in the 19th century. Church is for edification of the body of Christ, so that body can go out and be the arms, hands, legs, and feet which carry the gospel to the world in which we live. When the Holy Spirit brings a lost person to saving grace with our obedient evangelistic efforts then that person should be welcomed into the fellowship of believers, but not before. I agree with the other responder to your post, if a lost person gets soundly saved in a church service AWESOME! But the biblical method of one-to-one evangelism can not be done away with. We as a Christ loving people have too long relied on our pastors to reach the lost when we should have been doing it all along, and then introducing the new believer to the pastor and congregation. So rather than spend our money on bathroom decorations, lets invest it into ministry to the poor, discipleship of the believers, and relief for the hurting. Just my thoughts on the matter, not a theologian by any means. You should listen to Todd's radio show every now and then, he really seems like a funny guy who is committed to seeing the lost get soundly saved. God bless, Kris
Click here to reply to this post
Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 03/15/07 03:03:18 PM Age 40, FL
Actually most of the bible is written for Christians. Yes the church is for Christians so they can learn to be better equipped to go and share the gospel. If a lost person is at church and responds to the message being preached then praise God. Think about it. When Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, who was he talking to, his Disciples or the people gathered around him? I will tell you....His disciples (matt 5).How about Ephesians, especially chapter one, who was that written to? I will tell you...To the SAINTS, at Ephesus. The only thing I see written to the lost man in the bible is "Repent or Parish" Todd is right on dude!!!!
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 09:34:44 AM

Age 52, IN

Todd, I have been listening to you talk about this on WayOfTheMasterRadio.com . The only thing missing from the article is your fabulous voice! To answer your final queston: Yes, I think churches will sink even lower!
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 09:25:32 AM

Age 28, TX

Wow- I can't believe I am surprised but I am.The lengths some will go to get people into church... I do think a nice bathroom is a good thing. But then this is coming from someone who is accustomed to going to the facilities only to discover that two toilets are marked out of order and the third has overflowed everywhere. The bathroom is so tiny that only one person can go into it at a time, and in order for us ladies to fix our bras or makeup or whatever we have to do it in front of the men- there are no private sinks. Not exactly an optimal situation. I do believe that having good, functional, and aesthetically pleasing facilities are not anti-biblical. I also believe that it is great to have programs that reach out to people and interest them into coming. But the church is not meant to be an evangelistic outreach in itself nor to be a popular and fun club hoping for big contributions. By that I mean the Sunday morning service. We are to go out and witness and then bring in the new believers to join the congregation in worship and grow in God's Word. There is not supposed to be a competition between churches on who has the nicest facilities, best programs, and largest congregation!
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 09:23:35 AM

Age 56, NC

Yeah, I feel a song comin' on .... I ~ ~ met Jesus in the men's room ... But I was tryin' to look straight ahead ... NASCAR stickers on ~ ~ the mirror ... And Dale Jarrett's very own FatHead (to the tune of "Grandma Got Run Over ....")
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 03/15/07 01:53:03 PM Age 41, MN
I think that's "TONY STEWART'S very own fat head."
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 09:15:37 AM

Age 36, MS

The article is very well-written and, in theory, I can say I agree w/ what the writer is saying. The truth of the Scriptures, of God's Grace through the sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus IS sufficient and must never be altered in any way, whatsoever. But the reality of our fallen, skewered societal views make it necessary to call for some ever-changing ways to reach those in order to teach those who are lost--and vice versa. Jesus went to the people; He talked to them and related to them on their level, but He never changed His message. Instead He reached down and lifted them up---as long as they chose to come with Him or follow after Him. The real question is not what happens in the men's bathroom (we already know what goes on there). It's what they hear when they come out and go into the Sanctuary. As long as the Bible is preached and souls are won, it won't matter if they stopped to wash their hands because their sins will have been washed by the Blood of the Lamb!
Click here to reply to this post

Re: Re: The Potty Driven Life
Posted On: 04/02/07 04:18:14 PM Age 26, MN
Perfectly said! Thank you. Could not have said it better.
Click here to reply to this post

Re: The Potty Driven Life

Posted On: 03/15/07 09:10:17 AM

Age 57, TN

I am not surprised by this church attempting to bring in people with the "bathroom decorations." About 6 years ago, we were attending a So.Baptist Church. The leadership had a week long "revival meeting" with a "Christian illusionist" one evening speaking to children k-6th grade. He was going to do illusions and then dismiss the k-3rd graders while he shared the Gospel with the 4-6th graders. We challenged the leadership on even having a "Christian illusionist" come at all. a) Why not just share the Gospel with all the children, skip the illusions and b)why dismiss the k-3 children after the illusionist when the most important part is the sharing of the Gospel? They did not agree with us, and told us that they felt there was nothing wrong with this. We had a long conversation sharing why one does not have an illusionist foundation laid and then put Christ on top of it but they did not agree. They continued to disagree and we realized that they would feel "anything goes" after that, so we as a family came out of that church. As our children said (ages 9 and 11 at the time), "Why would I want to listen to someone who is good at deceiving me?"
Click here to reply to this post